Even with new anti counterfeit measures put in place for U.S. legal tender, there’s always some enterprising criminal trying to cheat the system. Instead of copying an already established currency note, which might be hard to duplicate correctly, why not just create a new one? That must have been the thought behind a Lebanese man’s attempt to create new denominations for the United States dollar, ranging from $500 notes, a $100,000 note, and finally a $1 million dollar note. None of these currency note values are actually still within wide circulation, as the highest note currently in circulation is only $100.

Or, the man might have done some poor research and discovered that, in fact, there were denominations of $500 and $100,000 U.S. bills in existence. He just may have gotten the dates of their issue and circulation wrong. The last time $500 notes were printed legally was in 1945, and they there are few within mainstream circulation. There was also a special edition $100,000 note, created in 1924, but it is not in circulation either, making it very easy to spot an obvious fake for anyone in the financial industry.

Regardless, the enterprising criminal might have gotten away with the scheme except that his first act was to tip hotel staff in Kuala Lumpur, where he was staying, with a fake $500 note. The recipient of the note tried to exchange the note at a local moneychanger and was then informed that the bill was a fake. Malaysian police arrested the man who might face up to 10 years in jail. When they searched the man’s room, police found over $66 million dollars of counterfeit bills with the same denominations. The man already has a prior arrest record in connection with fraud over the sale of office supplies in 2005.

The importance of budgeting cannot be stressed enough. In these times, it is very difficult to save for the future or for things we want to buy. In many cases, these things must remain in the store and instead, we must use discipline to put that money away to avoid having to use payday loans too often. Using credit cards is also a bad idea as the payments can sometimes be too much to deal with when money is tight.
If we budget in our daily lives, it is much easier to see how much we can and cannot afford. Even if budgeting is something we have never done before, we must try our best to estimate our daily expenditures as well as our income. (more…)

If you have spent any amount of time online reading personal finance articles you are probably more than well aware that creating and sticking to a budget is one of the main keys to financial success. While you know that creating and following a budget is important, many avoid this important step either because they don’t feel they need it or they don’t want to eliminate some of the luxuries they enjoy most.

When you utter the term budget, many people think that they need to deprive themselves by cutting out all luxury expenses in order to save some cash for a rainy day. While this may be true if your current financial situation is in dire straits, it should not be the case for those who would like to get a better handle on their finances and don’t know exactly where to start. Here are some simple tips to successfully living on a budget while still having the option to enjoy the luxuries that matter to you most. (more…)

Regardless of whether you dream of being a millionaire, or you would just like to be able to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant, your finances can make or break your chances of achieving financial success. While most may make all the right choices when it comes to dealing with their finances, others hit the occasional speed bump which when not addressed can cause serious damage to your financial health. A large number of improper choices can result in loads of debt which can lead to foreclosure and even bankruptcy, which can turn anyone’s life upside down. If you have hit a rough patch, and are not sure where to turn, here are some simple tips that can help you improve the health of your finances so you can get back on the road to financial wealth. (more…)

If you’ve taken to looking for unclaimed money you left behind in other states through missingmoney.com, you might be scraping the bottom of the barrel in ways to find extra money in your budget. Listed here are a few ways to squeeze extra money out of your budget, to fatten up your emergency fund, that might generate better results. (more…)

Everyone is looking for ways to cut living expenses, but many just don’t want to give up their lifestyle while doing it. It’s one thing to want to cut your cable bill, but another to miss your favorite TV shows or movies. For those that want to “cut the cord” and find ways to cut living expenses, the good news is that new technologies can make that dream entirely possible. Other ways to cut living expenses are fairly simple and rely solely on your ability to negotiate a better rate or get a discount on service. The recession has forced many business owners to cave in, when asked for a reduction in price. Any sale is better than no sale, in this economic climate, and you can use that to help you cut living expenses without necessarily giving up a service you like. (more…)

In these times of economic crisis, it is good to know that there are solutions and ways to save money on our bills. From using coupons at the grocery store to cash back programs that allow us to get money back on purchases, there are outlets in our time of need to help us retain our current salaries, especially when we have big expenses to take care of. There are corners that we can cut to save and adjust our budgets to stretch what we do have so that our quality of life does not suffer. We want to live well and save money and one area where we can make headway is our technology and the money we pay to be “connected”. There are many areas where we can save on technology costs and although it may not seem like much, these savings can really add up to a respectable amount. By saving this money, we may be able to increase our retirement fund or afford that great vacation that we have never been able to take. (more…)

Many people nowadays have taken to the habit of living paycheck to paycheck. They often believe that saving or putting any money away whatsoever to be an impossible task, but this isn’t necessarily true. Learning how to build a realistic budget can allow people to still make sure that their needs are met, and allow them to begin setting something aside each month, or with each paycheck. With the current state of the economy, it’s important to have a back up plan. Having a little something set aside just in case something happens can not only bring peace of mind, but help to ensure that if something unexpected happens you can still be okay. (more…)

If you read the entertainment publications and watch television it is easy to see that most celebrities, including the biggest rap stars, are quite comfortable and have plenty of cash. Unfortunately, most of us can’t live the life of a major star, and enjoy the kind of wealth they receive for their work.

Most of us can make budgets, look for good deals and bargains and try to get ahead so that we can at least have some financial “breathing room” from time to time. In the current economy, it is very hard to even set aside some savings or make plans for vacations or getaways, because prices are high and incomes are low. (more…)

Budgeting can be fun? Actually, in the current economy, making a budget requires a lot of creativity and planning, which can be made into a really fun adventure for the whole family. Some fun budgeting ideas include creating a household competition to see who can recycle the most, use the least amount of resources or save the most money. Such activities would see kids clipping coupons, rinsing cans and bottles for the recycle bin and even using timers when brushing their teeth or taking a shower. The winner could get a special treat or the chance to pick out what the family will eat for dinner. (more…)